Diet culture is pretty much the lifestyle among health-conscious youth. This does come with its dangers as extreme diets like Bulking and Cutting can lead to eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
Bulking and Cutting diet involves an alternative period of caloric surplus i.e. bulking and caloric restriction i.e. cutting. A recent study found links between bulk and cut diet with psychological factors like anorexia, body dysmorphia, and drive for muscularity.
Survey Highlights
- Out of all the 2,762 participants, half of them were young men, and one in five were women, transgender, and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals.
- Men participated in bulk and cut cycles almost twice as often as women and TGNC individuals.
- Conversely, women and TGNC individuals were able to complete more bulk and cut cycles than men
- TGNC participants were only linked with muscle dysmorphia while others correlated with anorexia and body dysmorphia
Future Implications of Bulking and Cutting
Doctors fear that dietary practices such as bulk and cut and many other extreme diets are prevalent on a larger scale than the study could comprehend. It is scary to think that a simple weight loss tactic can potentially overlap with serious mental and behavioral health conditions.
